Aila Mroueh at Etxetera in Nicosia, June 2026. (Credit: Anne Ilcinkas/L’Orient-Le Jour)
Behind the pink façade and large bay windows that let in the intense Cypriot sunshine, you'll find clothes, towels and colorful tote bags to the left, with a corner at the back filled with candy and dog toys; opposite, behind a large table where coworkers sit, a shelf full of analog cameras; and, to the right, the café area, with its counter and comfortable sofas and armchairs. All in just 50 square meters."It's easier to live than to explain," says Aila Mroueh when describing the space. That morning, her mother, a newly retired AFP journalist, is working at the large wooden table, perhaps managing the works of her father, the painter Amine El Bacha. She now also devotes herself to her own Mediterranean-inspired creations, which are offered for sale. In Italy In Milan, two Lebanese siblings offer mezze to-go By...
Behind the pink façade and large bay windows that let in the intense Cypriot sunshine, you'll find clothes, towels and colorful tote bags to the left, with a corner at the back filled with candy and dog toys; opposite, behind a large table where coworkers sit, a shelf full of analog cameras; and, to the right, the café area, with its counter and comfortable sofas and armchairs. All in just 50 square meters."It's easier to live than to explain," says Aila Mroueh when describing the space. That morning, her mother, a newly retired AFP journalist, is working at the large wooden table, perhaps managing the works of her father, the painter Amine El Bacha. She now also devotes herself to her own Mediterranean-inspired creations, which are offered for sale. In Italy In Milan, two Lebanese siblings offer mezze to-go By...
